smelled of pine and soap. All natural. All woman.
“It’s in Latin.”
Latin? Rafe hated Latin. Anthony could practically hear him groaning during class.
She tucked the journal under her arm and looked at the papers.
“What are those?” he asked.
“Copies.”
“Of?”
She didn’t say. He peered over her hands. Santa Louisa Grocery.
“Why would he keep copies of the food deliveries?” Anthony asked.
When Skye didn’t say anything, he knew she had an answer. “We need to work together, Skye.”
Her head shot up. “You said you weren’t a cop. Has anything changed in the last”—she glanced at her watch—“fifteen hours?”
“You need me.”
“I don’t know you.”
“But you know I had nothing to do with what happened here.”
“How? Maybe you were working with your friend Rafe. Maybe you’re supposed to steal artifacts while I’m trying to solve a mass murder. Maybe—”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I don’t know what to believe.”
“Ianax.”
“What?”
“That’s the name of the demon in the sacristy. Human blood was used, wasn’t it?”
“I can’t discuss the investigation with you.”
She had a great poker face, but her eyes exposed her soul, which told him he was right. He also had thousands of years of history to draw upon.
“Ianax was a triple agent, so to speak. He was a spirit on Satan’s side, but attempted to convince Saint Michael the Archangel that he was gathering evidence against Satan, all in an attempt to find out how many were staying on the Lord’s side and who were going with Satan. He gave information to both sides.”
She stared at him blankly. “You’re a lunatic.”
He hardened. He was used to people not believing him, but he desperately wanted Skye to trust him. The dead depended on it.
“Ianax was banished to the deepest pits of Hell by Satan when he attempted to overtake Hades. He’s an ancient demon, feeding on hate and revenge. It takes three dark souls and human sacrifice to draw him out.”
“I’ve read thousands of crime reports. There’s no proven case of human sacrifice by Satanists in America.”
Anthony continued. “Your people don’t know everything, and human sacrifice is rarely what you envision. He’s here. You sense it. You heard the voices of those trapped between Heaven and Hell. But you won’t open your heart.”
“You can’t tell me that a spirit killed those men.”
“Not alone, but Ianax was part of the massacre and if we can’t send it back to Hell more people will die.”
“Bullshit. More will die if we don’t capture the people who killed those priests.”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“I don’t know what planet you live on, Mr. Zaccardi, but where I come from you put people in prison and they stop killing innocent old men.”
He’d said the wrong thing, but he persisted. “I agree, we need to find the three involved in order to send Ianax back. If we don’t, he will grow more powerful.”
“Why are you so certain there are three people involved?”
“The seal. In the sacristy.” How could he convince this woman of what had taken him a lifetime to learn?
“You look so normal,” she muttered.
A rare anger grew in Anthony’s chest, the rage he fought to keep firmly at bay.
He grabbed Skye by the arms and pulled her close. “If you think this is a game, more innocent people will suffer. I am deadly serious, Sheriff McPherson.”
Her lush mouth opened, closed, opened again. “Let. Me. Go.”
Anthony dropped his hands, the anger washing away in embarrassment. He didn’t manhandle women. It was Skye’s total disdain of him and what he said…
He should be used to it by now. Few people truly believed that evil existed. They talked about it, gave it lip service, but didn’t believe in evil spirits, that they could be summoned and used, that they grew more powerful with every moment they spent outside of Hell, feeding on the cruelty and rage and hatred of human
“It’s in Latin.”
Latin? Rafe hated Latin. Anthony could practically hear him groaning during class.
She tucked the journal under her arm and looked at the papers.
“What are those?” he asked.
“Copies.”
“Of?”
She didn’t say. He peered over her hands. Santa Louisa Grocery.
“Why would he keep copies of the food deliveries?” Anthony asked.
When Skye didn’t say anything, he knew she had an answer. “We need to work together, Skye.”
Her head shot up. “You said you weren’t a cop. Has anything changed in the last”—she glanced at her watch—“fifteen hours?”
“You need me.”
“I don’t know you.”
“But you know I had nothing to do with what happened here.”
“How? Maybe you were working with your friend Rafe. Maybe you’re supposed to steal artifacts while I’m trying to solve a mass murder. Maybe—”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I don’t know what to believe.”
“Ianax.”
“What?”
“That’s the name of the demon in the sacristy. Human blood was used, wasn’t it?”
“I can’t discuss the investigation with you.”
She had a great poker face, but her eyes exposed her soul, which told him he was right. He also had thousands of years of history to draw upon.
“Ianax was a triple agent, so to speak. He was a spirit on Satan’s side, but attempted to convince Saint Michael the Archangel that he was gathering evidence against Satan, all in an attempt to find out how many were staying on the Lord’s side and who were going with Satan. He gave information to both sides.”
She stared at him blankly. “You’re a lunatic.”
He hardened. He was used to people not believing him, but he desperately wanted Skye to trust him. The dead depended on it.
“Ianax was banished to the deepest pits of Hell by Satan when he attempted to overtake Hades. He’s an ancient demon, feeding on hate and revenge. It takes three dark souls and human sacrifice to draw him out.”
“I’ve read thousands of crime reports. There’s no proven case of human sacrifice by Satanists in America.”
Anthony continued. “Your people don’t know everything, and human sacrifice is rarely what you envision. He’s here. You sense it. You heard the voices of those trapped between Heaven and Hell. But you won’t open your heart.”
“You can’t tell me that a spirit killed those men.”
“Not alone, but Ianax was part of the massacre and if we can’t send it back to Hell more people will die.”
“Bullshit. More will die if we don’t capture the people who killed those priests.”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“I don’t know what planet you live on, Mr. Zaccardi, but where I come from you put people in prison and they stop killing innocent old men.”
He’d said the wrong thing, but he persisted. “I agree, we need to find the three involved in order to send Ianax back. If we don’t, he will grow more powerful.”
“Why are you so certain there are three people involved?”
“The seal. In the sacristy.” How could he convince this woman of what had taken him a lifetime to learn?
“You look so normal,” she muttered.
A rare anger grew in Anthony’s chest, the rage he fought to keep firmly at bay.
He grabbed Skye by the arms and pulled her close. “If you think this is a game, more innocent people will suffer. I am deadly serious, Sheriff McPherson.”
Her lush mouth opened, closed, opened again. “Let. Me. Go.”
Anthony dropped his hands, the anger washing away in embarrassment. He didn’t manhandle women. It was Skye’s total disdain of him and what he said…
He should be used to it by now. Few people truly believed that evil existed. They talked about it, gave it lip service, but didn’t believe in evil spirits, that they could be summoned and used, that they grew more powerful with every moment they spent outside of Hell, feeding on the cruelty and rage and hatred of human
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